CCXXIV, CYCADEA, 753 ridge [Cycas), or pinnate from a midrib, and then simple or bifurcate [Stangeria). Vernation various : (I) petiole and leaflets rolled into a crozier, as in Ferns ; (2) petiole alone involute, and leaflets imbricate; (3) petiole straight, and leaflets folded along their midrib and juxtaposed. Flowers achlamydeous, dioecious, collected into strobili or terminal cones; $ forming large ovoid or oblong cones; scales thickly coriaceous, oblong, or dilated at the apex, which is plane [Zamia), or cuspidate [Cycas), or bidentate [Geratommia), bearing on their dorsal face numerous I-celled coriaceous anthers, which cover the face of the scale [Cycas), or form two groups along the midrib [Zamia), dehiscence longitudinal; pollen hyaline, globose or ellipsoid,— Flowers 2 : Ovary, style, and stigma 0 ; scales foliiform, imbricate, forming a sort of cone at the top of the stem, crenellated and bearing in each crenature an erect ovule [Cycas); or forming a true peduncled cone [Zamia), composed of stipitate peltate scales, under which are placed,2 ovules ; ovules naked, sessile, orthotropous. Seed drupe-like, presenting several openings corresponding to the embryonic vesicles, from which descend folded cords, terminated by embryos of which one only is developed ; testa fleshy without, crustaceous within; albumen fleshy, thick, in the centre of which is the cavity containing the perfect embryo. Embryo appearing undivided, owing to the cohesion of the cotyledons; radicle superior [Cycas), or inferior, or obliquely directed towards the rachis [Zamia, &c.); cotyledons unequal, often hypogeous in germination. PEINCIPAL GENEEA. * Cycaa. * Macrozamia. * Dioon. Bowenia. * Zamia. ¦* Ceratozamia. * Stangeria. Encephalartos. Microcycaa. Cycadece, which the earlier botaniata, relying on habit and vernation, placed near either the Palms or Tree-ferns, and other Cryptogamic famiUes, are evidently Dicotyledons, and cloaely allied to Coniferce; the anatomy of the stem, infioreacence, structure of the stamens, ovules, seeda and embryo, are almoat identical in the two families; besidea which, in Cycadece the ovules are sometimes geminate, with an inferior micropyle as in Abietinece; or solitary with a superior micropyle,"aa in Taxinece (Salisburya). The only important difi'erence ia in the habit and foliation of Cycadece. Cycas more frequently inhabits tropical Aaia and its large islands, but .also Madagascar and equatorial Australia. Macrozamia [and Boioenid] is peculiar to Australia. Enoephalartos and Stangeria are South African. 2kimia, Microcycas, Cei-atozamia, and Dioon are tropical and sub-tropical American. The central and cortical pith of Cycadece abounds in nutritious starch. The Cycas of the Moluccaa and of Japan yields a sort of sago, with which the nativea make bread. The Hottentots feed on the [pith of the] Encephalartos, called by the Dutch colonists Broodboom (Bread-tree). The seeds of Cyccisand Zamiei are edible, containing atarch combined with a gummy matter, but they are astringent in theraw state; those of an Auatralian species are reputed to be violently emetic.